Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday proved once again that he would go to any extent to fulfil his word. He laid the foundation for over 50,000 houses to be constructed at a cost of Rs 1,830 crore in Guntur district.
The event raised many eyebrows as the idea had been vehemently opposed by all political parties, except the ruling YSR Congress Party. Overcoming all odds, including a few legal hurdles, the young Chief Minister could finally make his point that a capital city must be an inclusive place giving space to all sections of the people. “Now Amaravati belongs to everyone, this is what we all wanted,” a beaming Jagan announced, after laying the foundation. As an old Islamic proverb goes, “a lot of different flowers make a beautiful bouquet.”
Located in the Assembly constituencies of Mangalagiri and Tadikonda, these houses will be constructed in the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) area spread over 1,400 acres as part of 25 layouts.
The AP Chief Minister has alleged that TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu wanted to set up a gated community for the rich in Amaravati, while keeping the poor out of this place. With the construction of 50,000 houses for the poor, Amaravati will become truly a “People’s capital” remarked a senior politician, who has been closely following the capital controversy over the past four years. Jagan’s social justice plank is set to alter the election dynamics in favour of YSRCP. More than 50,000 houses will have more than two lakh people coming into the capital region and this will surely increase chances of election victory for the YSRC Party.
As a shrewd politician, Jagan has been nourishing a pro-poor image for him and his YSRC Party all through his four-year term. Call it freebies, soaps, or direct benefit transfer, Jagan moved every stone to create a distinct image for himself as the Chief Minister. Now, even his distracters agree that Jagan believes in supporting the poorest of the poor.
Critics used to heckle him for his ‘switching on’ spree, but that is what has changed the mood of the poor. Jagan ensured that almost all sections are covered under welfare schemes and more than 2.5 crore people directly benefited from his direct cash transfer activity. The switching on spree has generated a public debate among all sections while Jagan surely gained massive support from poorer sections.
As per the government statistics, every poor family received more than Rs 1.5 lakh under various welfare schemes. This, according to election analysts, will make a huge difference in the coming days as the state is heading for the polls in April 2024. YS Jagan has left no stone unturned to touch every section of society with his welfare schemes.
